Posted: May 25, 2014 7:45 am
UndercoverElephant wrote:
It's up to people to decide for themselves whether this is in the same league as seeing Jesus' face in toast, or not.
You're not helping your case here. People can decide anything, sure. They can decide a completely dubious UFO pic is real. That Stairway to Heaven played backwards is an ode to Satan. That a cropped image of The Pentagon is evidence of a missile strike. That, "The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it." And once these people have decided that's that it is what they say it is and they will remain steadfast in that belief no matter what anyone says.
In the market place of ideas these are just temporary fruit stalls subject to whims and fashions and only catering to a very select clientele and lacking any broad appeal.
UndercoverElephant wrote:Well, I'm not sure why what I choose to believe is so important to other people.
It isn't. That's the point.
UndercoverElephant wrote: I'd actually challenge your language quoted above - by saying I have "admitted that it doesn't prove anything" implies that this "admission" is something negative or regretful - it implies "if only I could have proved it, but I can't..." One "admits" guilt, or other bad things. I didn't "admit" anything. I simply stated it, in order to make sure nobody assumed, incorrectly, that I thought this was proof of something and therefore expected them to believe it to. It was no more an "admission" than stating my handle is "UndercoverElephant."
You decided to take it negatively
UndercoverElephant wrote:You are also asking a question - "why believe it means anything if it's not proof of anything?" I think I already explained that I already believed such things were real (for other reasons, not connected to this), so the fact that this example proves nothing to third parties like yourself is irrelevant to what I personally believe. My beliefs about this case are shaped by my beliefs about this sort of thing in general.
I know. Everyone else has gathered that. Again, some people belief dubious UFO pics are real because their beliefs about such cases are shaped by their beliefs about that sort of thing in general.
Edit - spelling.